Invoking Sam
by Celeste6
Summary: Sam. Vanilla candles. Nuclear proliferation. Ah, the joys of writing a paper.


Spoilers: Nary a one.  
  
Summary: Sam helps out a grad student.  
  
Disclaimer: Oh, they are definitely not mine. And you wonder why.  
  
Author's note: It's late. Really late. I was getting the peanut butter and apple snack, when this bit of inspiration hit me over the head. While I was yelling at it for not being paper-related inspiration, (either paper would have been fine, really) it just kind of wrote itself. And if you don't think it works, try it sometime. Just think – what would Sam write?  
  
Oh, yeah, bonus points if you know what the acronyms mean (they're easy ones) :-)  
  
  
  
1 INVOKING SAM  
  
So we're sitting in senior staff and Sam gets this look on his face. He shakes it off, but after a minute or so it's back. More intense, this time. He looks at us, shakes his head in apology, jumps out of his chair and runs out door.  
  
"I hate it when he does that," Toby mutters.  
  
"Hey, why does Sam get to leave?" Ainsley asks, walking in the door after almost being mowed down by Sam in the hallway.  
  
"He has this thing," I answer, shrugging.  
  
"No, he doesn't; I checked. He's supposed to help me after the meeting."  
  
"It's not a scheduled thing." Toby scowls and sinks deeper into his chair.  
  
"Oh, you're just jealous," CJ said.  
  
The scowl grows. "I am not jealous."  
  
"Jealous of what?" Ainsley snags a muffin off the desk and sits down in Sam's recently vacated chair.  
  
"Sam's reputation as a writer." I lean forward, grinning.  
  
Just then, Leo walks in. "Aren't you people done yet?"  
  
"Morning, sunshine," CJ says. "We're waiting on Sam to get back."  
  
"Oh, not again."  
  
"Exactly what I said," Toby grouses. "Aren't you supposed to be on the Hill?"  
  
"They canceled the meeting. I need Sam to call his friend and work the thing."  
  
"What is Sam doing?"  
  
Leo looks at the blond Republican like…well, like she's a blond Republican. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Looking for a muffin." She finishes off the one in her lap, tossing the wrapper into the trash can. Leo's still looking at her, with that Leo look (no – the other one) and she smiles back and says, "I'll just go find Sam."  
  
She walks out the door as Toby calls after her, "Don't break his concentration or he'll be there all day."  
  
I look around. We are so not going to accomplish anything right now. Which is probably a bad thing, considering. But still, I gotta see Ainsley's reaction. It's really a trip to watch Sam work.  
  
Leo sees me looking around and says, "Oh, go already."  
  
"Thanks, Leo." I breeze past him.  
  
By the time I get to Sam's office, Ainsley is standing in his doorway. She knocks softly.  
  
"Don't," I say, lightly catching her hand, just long enough to stop her from knocking again. "Really, don't. You can go in, it won't bother him. Just don't make any noise."  
  
We tiptoe into the office. Sam is sitting on the floor, cross-legged. Mozart is playing in the background. Candles are burning.  
  
"I wondered why his office always smell vanilla-y."  
  
I shushed her. "Just watch."  
  
After a moment, he begins to mumble. "Organizational theory. Complex systems increase the chances of accidents. Deterrence doesn't work." His head rolls forward and then back and he begins again. "Strategic versus tactical. GPS. JSF."  
  
"Oh, man. That's really bad," I whisper.  
  
"What is?" Ainsley whispers back, confused.  
  
"Two at once. Man, that sucks."  
  
"Josh, what are you talking about? Sam's not working on any military issues right now."  
  
"No, but somebody is." I duck as she throws an unlit stick of incense at me. I give in and answer her question. "Okay – did you ever have problems writing a paper?"  
  
"Well, yeah, there was this time I has to do a 30 pager on the ramifications of Gilbert and Sullivan on British law…"  
  
"Ainsley!" I hiss. Her eyes widen, but she's quiet. "Did you ever call on a higher power for help?"  
  
She nods. I grandly wave a hand in Sam's direction.  
  
"He's the higher power?" Her asks, incredulous.  
  
I laugh softly. "No. But he is a really good writer. So whenever someone needs help writing a paper, they invoke Sam."  
  
"And that helps." I notice that when she's mocking you, Ainsley's accent gets more Carolina. Which, you know, says a lot, since her accent is never not Carolina.  
  
"Actually, yeah. It works best when it's for a fellow policy geek and almost only for students. But that's most of the time, cause those are the only people who know to call on Sam."  
  
I hear a thunk, look over and Sam's head is resting against his desk. His eyes are closed. "Look's like that's all for now." I walk over to him and crouch beside him. "Sam, buddy, c'mon. Leo needs you for a thing."  
  
He opens his eyes. "Coffee."  
  
I turn to Ainsley and say, "Caffeine helps with the post-invoking funk."  
  
"You want me to get some?"  
  
"Nah, I got it." Turning towards the door, I yell, "DONNA!"  
  
From down the hall I hear, "My name is not Starbucks, Joshua. Get it yourself!"  
  
"It's for Sam," I call.  
  
She appears in the doorway with a steaming mug of fresh coffee. Sam sits up and holds out his hands. "Mmmm…coffee."  
  
"Sam…" Ainsley says, like she's about to ask for something, which she then does, or would have if Sam didn't stop her.  
  
"Don't even ask."  
  
"You know, I'm thinking about going back to school."  
  
He gets up. "For what? You already have a degree. Or two."  
  
"A girl can never have too much education."  
  
They walk out the door, witty banter flying between them. Donna looks at me (yes – that look) and says, "You know, maybe if you were a better writer, we could banter like that." And then she walks off, tossing a coy smile over her shoulder.  
  
I shrug and head back to senior staff to report on Sam's latest triumph. Or annoy Toby. Or pester CJ. Anything but writing… 


End file.
